Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-11-04
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Regular Correspondence of the Standard.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 81, 1887.
The chief event at the Capital this
week is the habeas corpus trial of the
Virginia State officers before the
United States Supreme Court, on ap-
peal from the court of Judge Bond, by
whom they were summarily COM
mitted to prison for contempt. OF
course the telegraph has already in
formed you OF the action of the Su-
preme Court, how, on being personal
ly held in custody by that tribunal
one day, the prisoners were released
upon their own recognizance until the
final hearing of the case on the first
Monday in November. Roscoe Conk-
ling and J. Randolph Tucker will be
counsel for the defendants and Solici-
tor General jerks and Ex-Governor
Chamberlain will represent the Gov
ernment. AS the case is of national
Importance, it will be watched with
interest throughout the whole coun-
try.
Later in the week, it is probable that
the case of the Chicago Anarchists
will be taken up, as the preliminary
steps in that direction have already
been taken.
Next i'll interest to these proceed
ings is the meeting of the Agricultu-
raj Congress-now in session in this
city-composed of representatives of
the agricultural colleges and expert
mental stations in the several States,
as provided for by the act of Congress
of March 2, 1887. 1t is the purpose of
the meeting to have general discus
sion of the best means of giving prac-
tical effect to the provisions and ope-
rations of the law in question-some
of the subjects to be considered being
as follows: The general subject of ex-
perimental stations; the object and
scope of the work to be done; the most
useful experiments and Investigations,
demanded by farmers in the different
States, and the practicability of ad-
justing these experiments between the
several stations SO as to avoid duplica-
ton of work. No doubt the congress
will result in great good.
During the next session of Con-
gress, the four Territories of Montana,
Dakota, New Mexico, and Washing
ton will vigorously present and press
their claims for Statehood, and many
think the result will be the admission
of all, while others believe that no
new State will be admitted TIL after
the next Presidential election. 1t is
not at all probable that Dakota Ter
ritory will be made State if its divi-
sion is insisted upon. Utah also as
pires to be a state, but, of course, her
admission is out OF the question as
long as she clings to the "twin relic"
1t appears that Mr.. Oberly's views
upon the relations of political clubs to
civil service are not SO stringent as
was at first. supposed, as the Commits
sioner, in an interview with men,
ber of the National Democratic
League, says that he endorses tn OBJ
jects Of that organization, and would
contribute money to it if asked to do
SO out of his Office. 1t would there
fore seem that Commissioner Oberly
is merely stickler for the red-tape
proprieties of official life. But, to
man up a tree, it looks like clear
case of retreat from the ominous roar
of the rampant Democratic tiger.
1t is the opinion of slrewd finan-
ciers that the new departure of the
Treasury Department is increasing
the number of Government deposi-
tions and raising the limit from one
half to one million, to such national
banks as can give the necessary Sc
curity, is wise and liberal policy, cal
culated to conserve the business in
terests of the country and prevent the
recurrence of the panicky feeling in
commercial channels that precipitated
the September bond call. This de-
pository system is simply good
scheme of relieving the Treasury of
its enormous surplus and distributing
it among the people-the. source from
whence it came.
The publication of the treaty Of ex-
tradition between the United States
and the Republic of Guatemala is very
significant, showing as it does the
change from the loose Republican
system to that old and vigorous usage
of the Democratic party in protecting
such of our citizens as had become
the victims of foreign aggression and
oppression, which for SO many years
was the settled policy of our Govern
ment. This treaty is now pending be-
fore the United States Senate, with
President Cleveland's recommends
ton that it be ratified. Dem.
AN exchange gives this good lesson
to everybody: Nobody likes to be no
body, and everybody is pleased to
think himself somebody. And every